


Long Lines and Tall Boys

by deannach_na_realtai



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 14:48:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deannach_na_realtai/pseuds/deannach_na_realtai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis just wants to order his latte in peace. That's all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Lines and Tall Boys

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agrinwithouthiscat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrinwithouthiscat/gifts).



When Louis walks out of his last lecture on the coldest day of the month, he thinks that maybe - _just maybe_ \- he has made the wrong decision taking a Psych course and a Physics course in the same semester. Afternoons on Thursdays are brutal. Said Psych and Physics courses are right next to each other, and the only thing Louis can bring himself to be thankful for is that they are the last two classes he has for the day, because he is always completely drained. The cold isn't helping. The wind is freezing, stabbing at any exposed parts of him that he can't protect with his jacket, and he ducks his head against it as he makes his way across campus.

He looks up, faces the brutal wind to see just how far away his favourite coffee shop is, and is relieved to find he's coming up on the entrance. Willing his fingers to work against the cold, he works the door open and steps in.

Warmth overcomes him, and he's flooded with good feelings. Heat, the smell of coffee, cinnamon, desserts, and soft music in the background. Unfortunately, it's short-lived when he gets a good look at the line in front of him. It's so long. Stupidly long. It reaches almost to the door. If he didn't have his wits about him, he would have run right into the last person in it - a brunette girl who obviously senses Louis behind her, because she turns and smiles. He smiles back, but it drops off his face dramatically when she turns back around.

"Wonderful," he whispers bitterly, mostly to himself, maybe a bit to the universe, because he blames it for this injustice. He adjusts his bag, however, and waits.

Ten minutes later, Louis has his head in his hands. The line has barely moved, and he's freezing again, due to the door behind him being swung open and closed again and again. All he wants is his coffee, and he's becoming more and more irritated by the second. When the cafe door swings open yet again, he pulls his jacket tighter around him, sets his jaw, and crosses his arms. He doesn't move, even when he feels a presence behind him.

_"Da da da...it's Christmas time again...."_

He hears the quiet singing behind him and internally groans and kicks an imaginary chair. The last thing he needs is some idiot singing holiday songs into his ear when he hasn't even gotten his daily caffeine intake for the day. The line skips forward a bit, and the singing gets a bit louder. There are still three people in front of him in line, and now Louis is tapping his foot in annoyance. About the time the person behind him tries hitting a high note, he can't handle it. He spins around and grabs one cord of the headphones that he can see and pulls it out of the person's ear.

"You know you're singing out loud to your headphones, right?"

There's a beat of silence, and Louis allows himself to take in the sight before him. A tall boy with curly, dark hair is standing in front of him, one headphone in and a confused look on his face. He's wearing a grey pullover with the university's logo on it and trackpants. He's handsome, and Louis notices.

"Hey..." Tall Boy says, "you could have just asked me nicely to stop." Louis notices that he looks more disappointed than annoyed, and his irritation immediately lessens.

"Yes, well. It was annoying."

He expects Tall Boy to reiterate with something insulting, but instead he finds a hand being put out to greet him.

"M'name's Harry," he says with a toothy grin, "and I sing a lot. Sorry about that."

Louis just stares, but reaches out to shake his hand anyway. "Louis," he says tentatively, "and..it's fine. Sorry I snapped, I shouldn't have grabbed at you that way."

Harry's grin turns into a crooked, sympathetic smile. "S'alright. I know final exams are pretty stressful."

"How do you know I have final exams? You don't even know I'm a student at the university." Louis asks. Harry points down at Louis's bag.

"Well, you have a Physics book sticking out of your bag, for one thing. Otherwise, I can spot a stressed out uni student ten miles away. I'm one of them myself." Harry says, and produces a student card from his pocket as proof.

"Oh," Louis mutters. "Well, yeah. Pretty stressful."

"What are you getting?" Harry asks, shoving his card back in his pocket and tucking his earphones back in his bag.

"Cinnamon Dolce latte," Louis says without hesitation. "I never get anything else."

Harry makes a face and sticks his tongue out, and Louis should find it childish, but instead it's just...kind of cute. He laughs and turns back toward the counter; he's next in line.

"I'm sure you have impeccable taste in coffee," he says over his shoulder. Harry smiles again and Louis thinks for a second he sees an actual sparkle in this boy's eyes.

"As a matter of fact..."

"What can I get you?" the barista cuts him off as he starts taking Louis's order down. When everything is made and paid for, Louis steps aside and waits as Harry orders his. He doesn't really know why.

When Harry turns back to him, sipping on a cold coffee cooler, he says, "We can sit together, if you'd like."

Louis shrugs and thinks, "Why not," but says instead "Fine, as long as you don't sing anymore." 

Harry grins again, and turns to head for a table in the back of the cafe. Louis allows himself a tiny smile, and follows him, thinking he could get used to this boy being around.


End file.
